In a Vase on Monday: Spring in January

It definitely feels like Spring here.  We had temperatures in the low 80sF (28C) last week.  It cooled down slightly yesterday and it's expected to slowly drift down into the mid-60sF (18C) as the week continues and the marine layer reappears.  While I've enjoyed the warmer temperatures, I nonetheless hope this isn't the new normal.  I certainly don't want to find us jumping into summer anytime soon.

My first arrangement this week made use of the dramatic 'Bordeaux' Anemones that have been blooming for weeks already.

The plum-colored Anemones aren't easy to photograph.  It also didn't help that its petals are prone to spotting but then the overhead watering I did last week when the Santa Ana winds were blowing didn't help there.

Back view: The blue flowers of Aristea inaequalis provided a nice accent when I cut the stems in the morning but unfortunately I find they close up in the afternoon.  I'm hoping that the late afternoon sun in the front entry where the vase sits will cause them to reopen. 

The flowers made their best showing in this overhead shot 

Clockwise from the upper left: Anemone coronaria 'Bordeaux', A. c. 'Lord Lieutenant', Aristea inaequalis, noID Ceanothus, Chrysanthemum 'Fairbank Purple Spoon', and Hebe 'Wiri Blush'

My second arrangement is very pink and still more spring-like.

Although the 'Taylor's Perfection' Camellia blooms play the starring role, it was the pink snapdragons that inspired this arrangement

Back view

Overhead view

Clockwise from the upper left: Antirrhinum majus, Boronia crenulata 'Shark Bay', Camellia williamsii 'Taylor's Perfection', and Narcissus papyraceus

Our formerly saturated soil is becoming drier by the day.  More rain would be appreciated before our all too short rainy season comes to an end in April.  AccuWeather currently projects the possibility of rain late this month.  My fingers are crossed that forecast is correct.

For more IAVOM creations, visit our host, Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2026 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day - March 2020

It's been raining on and off all week.  While we haven't received as much rain as some areas of Los Angeles County, we've accumulated well over an inch in that period and I've made a major dent in refilling my rain barrels.  With our season-to-date total nearing 8 inches, we're nowhere near "normal" for the season in my location but as chances of rain remain in the forecast through the next 10 days there's a reasonable possibility of more.  Meanwhile, the impact of the novel coronavirus has put a damper of an entirely different sort on things but I'm glad to have work in the garden to fall back on as other activities are postponed or cancelled.

I hope your own garden is contributing to your morale.  Here are the highlights from mine in mid-March.

The Dutch Irises made their first appearance on Monday and more blooms open each day.  I planted more bulbs this year but the first to bloom are those that have been in the garden the longest.

Planted adjacent to the Iris, Felicia aethiopica is off to a great start

As is Scilla peruviana

Aristea inaequalis is a South African relative of the Iris.  Situated behind the fading Echium, it nearly always catches me by surprise when it blooms.

The tree-sized Ceanothus at the bottom of my back slope is mostly done blooming but the noID Ceanothus hedge in my back garden border is just getting started

All kinds of lavenders are blooming.  From left to right are: Lavandula 'Goodwin Creek', L. multifida, and L. stoechas.

Gazania, Narcissus and Freesias are blooming throughout the garden.  This photo captures them rubbing elbows.

Most of the Narcissus currently in bloom are a noID variety I planted years ago from bags picked up at my local garden center (left) but others like 'White Lion' (right) are popping up here and there

Freesias in a variety of colors are blooming all over.  They tend to flop and the persistent rain has worsened that problem.

Osteospermums, one of several plant genera referred to as African daisies, are also in bloom throughout the garden

The pink-flowered Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold' have been blooming for months in the front garden but all those shrubs are blanketed in flowers now.  The white form just started its bloom cycle.

This month, the pale pink flowers of Pyrethropsis hosmariense 'Marrakech' (left) have joined the ongoing display created by the white-flowered variety (right)

Although we're a few days short of the Spring equinox, it feels like Spring here.  New blooms are surprising me almost daily.

Tulipa clusiana 'Cynthia' followed cousin 'Lady Jane' (featured in a late February post) this month.  It remains to be seen whether the bulbs will survive to bloom another year in my climate.

The biggest surprise this month was these tiny pale yellow flowers on Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'.  Grown principally as a foliage plant, these are the first flowers I've ever seen on the plants, which have been growing in my garden since 2012.

Another genus of African daisies, Arctotis, is blooming in earnest this month.  The top 2 photos show Arctotis 'Pink Sugar' and the bottom 2 show Arctotis 'Opera Pink'.

The Western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) got a late start this year.  I inherited 2 of these trees with the garden.  They sucker terribly and, buffeted by winds on my moderate front slope, they don't stand up straight but they're pretty for a brief period when in bloom.

This rockroses are starting to bloom.  This one is Cistus 'Grayswood Pink'.

The pink powder puff bushes  (Calliandra haematocephala) were also slow to flower this year.  I couldn't choose between these 2 photos so I included both.

The first flowers of Leucospermum 'Goldie' are opening oh so slowly 

I've gradually removed many of the Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) I inherited with the garden as they grew woody and unshapely but this one is still putting on a nice show

Salvia africana-lutea is one of the more unusual specimens I've added to my garden over the years

The calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethopica) disappear when the weather turns warm but return to bloom anew each Spring, prompted by rain

I stuffed the remainder of the photos I took in preparation for Bloom Day into a series of color-themed collages for my own record.

Top row: Anemone 'Mistral Azzurro', Brachyscome 'Brasco Violet' (with Eriophyllum lanatum), Geranium 'Tiny Monster' and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy'
Middle row: Ipheion uniflorum, Limonium perezii, Pericallis 'Senetti Blue' and P. 'Magic Salmon'
Bottom row: Polygala myrtifolia, Salvia 'Mystic Spires', and Viola

Top row: Alstroemeria 'Indian Summer', Aeonium arboreum, noID Crassula, and noID Echeveria
Second row: Euphorbia rigida, self-seeded Gazania, Grevillea alpina x rosmarinifolia, and G. 'Peaches & Cream'
Third row: Grevillea 'Superb', Hemerocallis 'For Pete's Sake', Justicia rizzinii, and Lantana 'Lucky Yellow'
Bottom row: Oncostele 'Wildcat', Russelia 'Flamingo Park', and Sparaxis tricolor

Top row: Anemone 'Mistral Rarity', 2 noID Alstroemerias, and Bauhinia x blakeana
Second row: Boronia crenulata, Crassula multicava, Daphne odora, and Gazania 'White Flame'
Third row: Grevillea 'Ned Kelly', G. lavandulacea 'Penola', G. 'Scarlet Sprite', and Helleborus 'Phoebe'
Bottom row: Nemesia '7th Heaven Mix', Pelargonium peltatum 'Pink Blizzard', and noID Pericallis

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens 'Everest', Cymbidium 'Sussex Court No Peace', Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian White', Auranticarpa rhombifolium, Jasminium polyanthum, and Leucojum aestivum

I'll close with this symbol of resilience under tough conditions.  Best wishes with any challenges you face in the coming week!

Viola self-planted between paving cracks

For a look at what other gardeners have blooming in their gardens, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host.


All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

In a Vase on Monday: Sun, Blue Sky & Fluffy White Clouds

We got a teeny tiny amount of rain Saturday night and awoke on Sunday (late due to the start of Daylight Savings Time) to clear blue skies, scrubbed clean of their usual dingy brown layer of smog, a few lingering fluffy white clouds, and bright sunlight.

View looking southeast at the Port of Los Angeles from our back door after we received 0.06/inch of rain overnight.  If you look closely at the left side of the shot you can see the Royal Princess cruise ship sitting in port, probably being scrubbed from stem to stern.  It pulled out past Angel's Gate headed to Mexico just after 5:30pm yesterday.  I belatedly learned that the cruise was cancelled due to a link to the Grand Princess.  The Royal Princess sailed out of port but I'm not sure where it went.

View from our back patio looking northeast.  The Port is disturbingly quiet at the moment as the volume of transport ships has dropped dramatically over the past few weeks.

The sunny scene inspired the contents for my first vase.

Although the blue tips of the Dutch Iris are just beginning to emerge, none were ready to be cut yet so I sought out other flowers in shades of true blue, including the first flowering stem of Portuguese squill (Scilla peruviana) for the front of the vase

and Pericallis, Salvia, lavender and Aristea inaequalis, a South African Iris relative, for the back

Top view: Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) and Freesias provided the yellow notes and marguerite daisies (Argyranthemum frutescens) provided fresh white

Clockwise from the upper left: Argyranthemum frutescens, Aristea inaequalis, Freesia, Lavandula multifida, Pericallis, Phlomis fruticosa, Salvia 'Mystic Spires' and, in the middle, Scilla peruviana

My second vase is very different in terms of color and contains a mix I'm fairly certain I've used before; however, it shares a connection to the first arrangement in that both vases provide examples of nyctinasty.  Nyctinasty describes the natural phenomenon which causes leaves and/or flowers of certain plants to close in response to diminished light levels.  Interesting as that is, it's a bit irritating when it comes to creating flower arrangements.  I usually avoid using flowers with this characteristic but I'd utterly forgotten that the South African Iris relative, Aristea inaequalis, did that when I cut two stems for my first vase.  I remembered it when I found myself struggling to find open flowers to photograph.  In the case of the second vase, it wasn't the flowers that presented an issue but rather the foliage.  

The new red-tinged foliage of the pink powder puff bush (Calliandra haematocephala) folds when the light level is reduced, although the flowers and mature foliage are unaffected

The powder puff flowers don't last long in a vase.  I included a few flowers still tightly in bud to help dress up the back of the vase.

Top view

From left to right: Calliandra haematocephala, Freesia, and Grevillea lavandulacea 'Penola'

Finally, as I've grown accustomed to eating breakfast with flowers on the kitchen island, I cut a few florets from the florescent yellow bloom stalks of the succulent Aeonium arboreum to fill a small cactus-shaped vase.  Much as I love flowers, I'm not particularly fond of these flower stalks, which give the succulents a misshapen appearance.  In February, I had a dozen or more of them and, as new ones continue to appear, I've started cutting the older, scruffier stalks down so I decided to use a few of the florets before they all end up in our green waste bin.

Aeonium arboreum bloom stalk in garden and individual florets in the cactus vase

For more In a Vase on Monday creations, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

Bloom Day Postscript

One of the glories of spring is that each passing day brings new revelations.  While some of the new arrivals may still be around to celebrate April's Bloom Day, others may not so I'm going to go ahead and share a few (well, maybe more than a few) now.

Echium webbii (a dwarf) is now blooming alongside Felicia aethiopica

Ajuga hybrid 'Mint Chip' has appeared with the first blooms of Anagallis 'Wildcat Mandarin'

Aristea inqualis, planted in 2014, has finally produced its first blooms

Iris douglasiana 'Santa Lucia' is in bloom along the driveway.  I've had a remarkably difficult time getting Pacific Coast Iris to bloom here but this winter's rain appears to have provided the help I needed.

Ageratum corymbosum has had buds for months but, the day after March Bloom Day, they finally began to open

This noID Delosperma has appeared in spots all along the street-side succulent bed.  I thought it made the pretty Agave 'Blue Flame' shown here look even prettier.

Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa' produces a smattering of flowers most of the year but now it's really blooming!

The 2 Cercis occidentalis (Western Redbuds) that came with the garden just burst into bloom

The first Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) of the season has appeared!

Higher than normal temperatures last week knocked out most of my daffodils but Narcissus 'White Lion' seems to be a sturdier sort

The Prunus laurocerasus hedge is blooming on the southwest side of the garden

A few noID Calendulas, presumably from seeds I scattered 2 years ago that never germinated, have bloomed, nicely complementing Bulbine frutescens 'Hallmark'

This is a poor photo of a relatively new addition to the garden, Verbascum arcturus

I've had California fescue (Festuca californica) in my garden for a few years but this is the first time it's flowered like this

There are blooms on fruit trees too!

Blossoms on the navel orange tree (left) and peach tree (right).  Both trees came with the garden but the noID peach was invisible until we removed the giant Yucca elephantipes at the bottom of the back slope a few years ago.

And more of the Pelargoniums are blooming.

Clockwise from the left: Pelargonium 'Tweedle Dee', noID, 'Golf Ball', 'White Lady', and 'Vectris Glitter' 

I even have my first rose bloom, appropriately perhaps, 'California Dreamin'.

I've been fighting an onslaught of aphids on all my roses and it looks as though I need to leap into the fray again

I hope this post isn't too obnoxious.  Spring does come very early in coastal Southern California.  Unfortunately, summer's heat does as well so we have to celebrate when we can.


All material © 2012-2017 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party